Stormy Nights (The Knight Brothers Book 2) Read online

  Stormy Nights

  The Knight Brothers

  C.M. Steele

  Copyrighted © 2018

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Epilogue

  Copyrighted © 2018

  Re-released © 2019

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: C.M. Steele

  Cover Image: Deposit Photo

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.

  This book is intended for mature adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. The suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Erotic Romance.

  Mixing business and pleasure was never a good idea. Nick knew that and did his best to stay away from the lovely Lillian, but everyone had their breaking point. And with the help of his brother, Ian, Nick found his. Now it was time to convince her not to leave.

  Lillian couldn’t take seeing Nick anymore. Every day, she forced herself to hope he’d magically fall for her. But if it hadn’t happened in all these years, it never would. She had to move on.

  But everything changed one stormy night.

  Prologue

  Nick

  Meetings are the bane of my existence. I exit my last one only to prepare for my next one. I’m in charge of my father’s publishing company while he and my mother are on vacation. Unfortunately, that means dealing with the mistakes.

  His temporary assistant scheduled a meeting for him while he was on vacation. Instead of canceling it, I’ve decided to keep it and maintain the family brand of professional excellence. Nothing like coming off incompetent to one of our newest and brightest stars to ruin our good standing.

  Temperance Strong just finished her first book contract with us, and my father was in the process of negotiating a second one that she needs to review. I don’t see any problems with it, but she’s the client. It’s our job to make her happy.

  I check my watch and see that my last meeting ran way too long, and Ms. Strong would be here soon. My coffee ran out three hours ago, and I needed more. I had to rush out and get some coffee.

  Being in too much of a hurry and not paying attention to where I’m going, I careen into a petite blonde almost sending her to the floor. Quickly, I grasp hold of her arm while my other hand wraps around her waist lifting her back to her feet but not letting her go. As I look at her, I'm completely stunned—she's gorgeous. Her cheeks are stained pink, and her eyes widen from our collision, but her parted lips are from my touch. At least that’s what I’m going with.

  “I'm sorry,” I stammer out, becoming completely lost in her blue eyes.

  “Oh no. I’m sorry. It was my fault I wasn't paying attention,” she says, looking up at me, pushing her hair back behind her ear.

  “I guess that makes two of us.” For the first time in forever, I want to have more than a conversation with a woman. I haven't even noticed a female in five years—not since one made a fool of me. You know what they say one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. Well, that’s what happened to me. I want to say more to her, but I'm at a loss for words.

  She steps out of my arms, and I feel the loss immediately. “Um…you wouldn't happen to be Nicholas Knight, would you?” she questions, biting her bottom lip anxiously.

  “The second,” I reply.

  She quickly pulls out her planner out of her bag and flips through it. “Oh. I'm supposed to be meeting with…I suppose it doesn't say here.”

  I smile because she’s adorable, nervously looking for the answers in her hand instead of talking to me. “Initially, you were supposed to meet with my father. You must be Temperance Strong.” My smile disappears. I want her. I want to spread her on the conference room table and have her in every way possible, but she’s one of our clients.

  “Yes, I am. Did he cancel our meeting?” A panicked expression creeps up across her face, and I long to wipe it away before taking her lips with mine.

  I give her a reassuring smile and see her pretty face light up. “No, he didn't. His schedule got mixed up. He's currently on vacation with my mother. I told him I would handle any questions you have or anything you need to go over.”

  “Oh…okay…well…I suppose I’m a little bit early.” She looks down at her watch. Her blue eyes reach mine again as she twists her lips in dismay. “I guess I could just wait here. You seem like you’re in a hurry to go somewhere.”

  I shrug because I suddenly don’t need any caffeine. She’s given me all the energy I can handle. My body feels like a live wire. She’s nervous, and I don’t like making her feel uncomfortable, but I’m not doing much better, so I tell the truth. “Yeah, I was about to head out and get coffee. Did you want some?”

  “Actually, yes I could totally go for a coffee right now. I’ll come with,” she responds. Damn the smile on her face goes straight to my balls. One day she’s going to get every drop I have, but until then I’ll have to manage to control myself.

  Her coming with me isn’t going to happen. I’d love to have her at my side wherever we went, but that outfit would make me kill a motherfucker. From her records, it says she’s only twenty, but she came in dressed as a business professional which I'm expecting is not her normal look.

  Those heels are way too high, and I can see she forgot to take off one of the stickers on her skirt. I'm not going to say anything because she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I don’t want to further embarrass her.

  The way her skirt clings to her thighs, hugging them down to just above the knee is so damn sexy. She looks extremely uncomfortable in those four-inch heels, so I have my perfect excuse. “I see you got some high heels on. I'll just go for the both of us. What would you like?” A look of relief comes over her face. I was right. She’s not used to them.

  “A large cream and sugar please.”

  She reaches for her bag to pull out money. I press my hand over hers, halting her movements. I give her a shake of the head. “Nope. I’ve got this. I'll be right back. Just take a seat.” I leave her the
re because what she's got on is going to send me into a fighting frenzy.

  As I exit the building, I’m hit with the reminder that I can't say anything to her that doesn’t involve her books because she's our client. She can’t be mine, even though for the first time in my life I feel alive.

  In utter frustration, I storm into the coffee shop, and of course, there's a long line. I manage to wait it out while thinking about when the new contract will end. I looked through her file this morning, and she still has two more books in the works. It feels like an eternity to think about waiting for her.

  Can I hold out that long? I ask myself.

  My gut is telling me...hell yes.

  Lillian

  Holy shit. I take a seat just where he told me—like a good girl. Mentally, I'm replaying our few seconds together, wishing I could have a do-over. I went total ‘valley girl’ on him like the young person I am. I’m way out of my league.

  Nicholas Knight Jr. is one hot guy. I’m not good with people as it is, then he has to go and make me feel like a woman for the first time in my life. He stood tall and strong in a dark grey suit and a light blue dress shirt with a dark blue and grey striped tie, perfectly pressed. Everything about him exuded confidence.

  The feel of his hand on my waist and wrist warmed my entire body. I stared at him like a deer in headlights. How could an editor be so fine? I was expecting some stuffy guy who was old with glasses and balding with a gut from being stuck behind a desk for two freaking decades. Who knew they could be fine as hell?

  I learned my lesson. Never judge a person by their profession again. I’ll be avoiding this office whenever I can. I can’t take that much sexy. I start shaking my leg nervously and play with the edge of my new skirt.

  “Shit,” I mutter to myself, looking around to see if anyone is nearby. It’s empty in there, so I yank off the tag. Damn it. I hope Nicholas didn’t see it. I ball it up quietly and tuck it into my messenger bag just in time as the elevator dings.

  He gets off the elevator with two large coffees in his hand and a smile on his face. He hands me my cup, grazing my fingers by accident and my heart freaks out. Seemingly unaffected by the touch, he says, “Please follow me, Ms. Day.” He knows my real name.

  “Yes, I do, Lillian.” Oh shit! I said that out loud. I can’t believe it. Such a nube! “Let’s go into the conference room so we can go over your contract and the changes you want to make to it.”

  I enter the room and set my cup on a coaster. “Please have a seat,” he adds when I stand in front of one. “Actually, I think there’s a miscommunication here. I don’t want to change the contract. I’m looking to go over my manuscript I sent in. There are some questions I have from the edits I received back and the deadlines.”

  “Oh, shit. I had no idea. We had a temp in when you scheduled your appointment. I’m sorry. Let me get that from his office, and we can get started.”

  For the next two hours, we talk strictly business, and I take plenty of notes but have no idea what they say. I mind travels to the future and back with Nicholas. Several times he catches me off guard, and of course, I tell him that I’m thinking about a part of the story we had last talked about.

  “Lillian, it’s been a pleasure. My father will be back next week, so if you have any questions before then, call me.” He hands me his business card with his direct line and email. He’s been nothing but professional the entire time, while I’ve been thinking about all the things we could have done to each other since we’ve been uninterrupted. I can’t help but wonder if he has a girlfriend. He probably does, and she’s probably perfect. I hate the fucking bitch.

  I go back to my apartment and hit my novel hard. Never have I felt so angry at an imaginary person. I think it works for me. I manage to add another three chapters worth of juicy violence to my thriller. I have a feeling Mr. Knight Sr. is going to love it.

  Chapter One

  Nick

  Three Years Later…

  I stroll into the office a little earlier than expected because I can’t seem to find sleep. My office has its own coffee maker, so I rarely step out to get any, but after five minutes that changes. My machine has crapped out. It’s long since been overdue with the way I drink several cups throughout the day. It’s what keeps me going when reading through hundreds of manuscripts a year.

  I’m the acting editor-in-chief of Knight Publishing while my father recovers from a heart attack. It’s only been a few months, but I have worked myself to the bone just to get things back on track and, well, mainly because I need a distraction.

  I’m in love with a woman I can’t have. She’s one of our clients and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I think about her more than I should. We don’t ever speak about anything but her work because she avoids me as much as possible. It’s like she knows I’m interested and doesn’t want to get involved. Fuck, it burns in my gut to feel that, but I can’t stop these feelings.

  I have her latest book in my hands. I’ve read it at least a dozen times from the time we received the first draft and now as a finished product for my shelf. I’ve read over the author bio, which is vague and on the verge of misleading. She’s been living here for four years and working with us for that long as well. I didn’t get to meet her until the second contract was being negotiated, and I fell head over heels in love with her from that moment on.

  I’ve been doing all I can to maintain my distance because mixing business and pleasure are a big no-no in this world. A bad relationship can destroy her work and therefore be my fault, although I know that I wouldn’t give her reason to ever doubt me. Damn, I’m so frustrated, I run my hands through my hair for the hundredth time today. I toss the book down on my desk, then get up like a bolt of lightning struck my ass. I need some damn coffee now.

  I wave bye to the receptionist and let her know that I'm stopping at the coffee shop. She’s already got hers in hand, so I don’t bother to offer. It's about half a block down, and I really need a cup or four at this moment. This job has suddenly taken a toll on my energy. I know it has nothing to do with the job and everything to do with her, but until something gives, or she shows me some interest, I'm stuck.

  As soon as I open the door to the coffee shop, I'm standing at the back of the line. Apparently, this is a peak time to get coffee. I'll have to make note of that for the future. I don't bother looking around because I’m hoping that I don't run into anyone I know and have to make small talk. My temper is usually mild to pleasant; right now, it's on full alert. I'm so unbelievably frustrated that I don't know how I'm going to get through another day.

  My brother, who's supposed to be helping me run this company, has been completely absentminded because he's been hit by the damn “Love Bug” as well. The thing is, I actually know where my woman lives. He can't seem to find his woman as if she just disappeared into thin air. I hope he finds her soon because if we both don’t get it together, the company is going to slip out of our grasp. With the markets saturated with new novels and the Indie world taking the bulk of the growth, many publishers—us included—are suffering. We have to get our shit in order, but first I need my coffee.

  I get to the counter with a smile plastered on my face. It’s genuine because I’m close to getting some coffee, and that in itself makes me happy. I place my order, then step to the side and wait to be called. I notice a guy at a table staring straight across from him as if he's interested in something. Curiosity gets the better of me, and I look. What a big mistake.

  Sitting there with her “Piss off, I'm writing” sticker on her laptop is the woman I can't get enough of. I look at that motherfucker leering at her like he's ready to get his ass whooped. A storm of jealousy hits me dead in the chest. If he makes a move toward her before I get there, I may be going to jail today.

  I don't even know if she has a boyfriend, but I can see from the way she's hiding her head that she doesn't want his attention. I take my cup with a thank you to the barista and walk over to the prick ey
eballing my beautiful dream girl.

  “Hello,” I say, but he doesn’t look at me. “Hey, fuckhead,” I state a little clearer for him as I lean down to do it.

  He whips his head around, ready to fight me, but he’s not going to win this one. I don’t let him speak. Instead, I fill him in on the situation. “You need to stop staring at my woman before you’re sipping your coffee through a straw.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t know she was taken. Maybe you need to get a ring on her finger. She’s too damn hot to be walking around clearly unclaimed.”

  “I plan on it,” I tell him. He’s right, though. She’s single and fair game for anyone to approach her. But that doesn’t mean I can’t stop them in their tracks. He gets up, taking his coffee and briefcase, then leaves without another word. Without another breath, I make my way to my brilliant woman.

  Chapter Two

  Lillian

  He has no clue that he's the star of my books. He’s the brilliant detective with a swagger you only read about. Yet the man I write about has no idea that I’m a woman. Everything about Nicholas Knight has my young and inexperienced heart doing flips and pounding out of control. I yearn insatiably for him. But I'm one of his clients, and that's definitely out of the question. Besides—he's sexy, and I'm plain Jane.

  I just heard about his father's heart attack last week. It happened months ago, but no one clued me in. Apparently, it was two days after our meeting for my latest release.

  My heart aches to be by his side, but we’re nothing to each other. They work for me, but I wish it was so much more. I think about Nicholas every second, and yet I'm forever going to be alone. I can’t get up the nerve to even speak to him about anything other than my manuscripts and he never asks me anything personal. My contract’s up in a few months, and I'm debating whether or not I should go with another publishing house since I have other offers.